The Language Of Love
by dshell99
Summary: Love is an action word. It speaks and doesn't have to say a word. Disclaimer: I don't own Ed, Edd, N Eddy. I only own my OCs and plot. The Rockwell's belong to Asphyxion.
1. Family And Friends

**Author's Note: Got a lil headcanon here that I just couldn't shake. All foreign language translations done via Google Translate so forgive me if they're wrong.**

 **Shout out to Hazelbaum for her help with names and games!**

 **Love you!**

 **Enjoy!**

Double Dee tapped his hands on Ed's shoulders to the beat of the music coming out of the speaker of the phone in his pocket as the taller Ed drove them on his bicycle from the high school to the cul-de-sac.

The ride was only about ten minutes and Double Dee had walked that morning while Ed had come in earlier for an early morning rugby practice and took his bike as a means to warm up before hitting the field.

But because they both stayed after school; Double Dee with a National Honor Society meeting and a personal tutoring session for a couple of freshmen, and Ed with another rugby practice, Ed could give his smart friend a ride home.

Edd would ride on the bike's rear pog's and hold on to Ed's shoulders as they would talk about school, make plans to study and have fun and just enjoy each other's company in the few minutes they could get together before the responsibilities of home beckoned.

When they pulled into the cul-de-sac, a car followed behind them and turned into Kevin's driveway as Ed turned into Double Dee's.

Edd's mother glanced up from where she was watering the rose bushes that nestled beneath the living room window and gave them a shake of her head as Ed slid into the drive way and her son hopped off the bike.

"Hey, Dr V!," Ed called to her with a toothy grin and Marion waved at him with her water hose.

"Hello, Ed," she smiled as her son gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Tell your mother thank you again for her help with the hospital's new mother retreat last weekend for me, would you please?"

"Will do, Doc! Later, Dee!"

Edd barely waved goodbye because he was a bit too busy _staring_ at Kevin who had only given him a quick head nod and smirk before unloading his mom's car.

"Did Kevin and Nazz finally have a baby?"

"What?!," he gasped, as his mother's question tore him from his thoughts of why Kevin was holding a baby carrier in one strong arm along with a baby bag on his shoulder, as well as his backpack and baseball practice duffle.

"Look, I know I'm not home often," the pediatrician sighed, "and that means I'm typically out of the whole neighborhood gossip loop, but he's carrying _a baby_ into his house! So I was wondering…"

"No," Edd sighed, still a bit confused himself. "They're really only friends. She's dating Josh Thomas, actually."

"Yo, Sockhead!"

Edd and his mother's eyes were drawn away from the house across the street to the jalopy in front of their house.

Eddy was waving a gift bag at them and when Edd walked up, he said, "Listen, I can't make Kev's party because I gotta work, but give that to him for me, will ya?"

 _"Eddy,"_ Edd whined as he took the gift bag and Eddy rolled his eyes.

"I know, I know! But I gotta!"

"Ok," Edd pouted and Eddy gave him a look.

"I promise –"

"To break another promise," Edd interrupted, a ticked off look in his eyes.

"Dude, not everyone has rich doctors and lawyers for parents," Eddy retorted. "Some of us have to work for a living."

"I have a job, too, Eddy," Edd snipped and Eddy groaned.

* * *

Their scamming days ceased the summer between sixth and seventh grade. But they weren't old enough to really _work_ back then.

Edd got back on his paper route while Ed went to back to working on Rolf's farm that fall with Eddy being the odd one out.

His friends gladly shared in the joys of their labor with him, but it wasn't until he got his own job working at the local Wendy's when they were all 15 during freshman year, that that whole _honest pay for an honest day's work_ hit home for the smol Ed. Now they were all 17 and he was the store's head assistant manager. But this also meant that he missed out on parties, game and movie nights with his friends, study sessions, and general shenanigans with his friends and neighbors because of work.

And no employee discount could really make up for it in Edd's mind, but these are the breaks.

* * *

"I know, but I can't get out of it. Just give that to him for me, ok, Double Dee? _Please?"_

Edd looked into pleading grey eyes and sighed, but he did pitch a bit of a hissy fit as he did so; full on stomping his feet and whining on the front curb of his house, but Eddy rolled his eyes and then rolled away tossing his thanks and IOUs out the window as he went.

"What was that about?," Marion asked as Edd walked back up the drive way to the open garage she was standing in.

"Eddy's missing the party Saturday because he has to work, so I gotta give this to Kevin for him," Edd sighed as he waved the gift bag in front of her and she gave him an empathetic look.

"Well, that was nice of him to give him something."

Edd just shrugged.

"I gotta go study," he said quietly as he walked into the house.

* * *

Kevin bounced his baby cousin on his knee as he waited for his mom to get home.

"¡Ojitos!," she cooed as she pulled her pudgy brown hands from her face.

"¡Ojitos!," he cooed back as he gave her Eskimo kisses and she giggled as she hid her face again.

They played the game for a couple of minutes more before he heard a tiny rumble.

"Ya hungry, Rosie?," he asked as he looked down to see if he could see her peeking out at him from in between her fingers.

"¡Ojitos!," she said loudly, determined to continue the fun game with her big cousin.

"Let's get you something to eat," he chuckled as he sat on her on the floor, plopped down next her, and dug some toddler cookies out of her diaper bag.

 _*buzz buzz*_

"¡Telephono!," Rosie squealed as she and Kevin looked around for his phone.

He found it in his backpack and saw that it was a text from his mom.

Ma: Me y Mari están en nuestro camino. ¿Llega a Rosie de guardería?

Mi Calabaza: Si estamous en casa ahora

Ma: Ok alimentar al bebé y saque el pollo y carne

Mi Calabaza: Tacos?

Ma: ¡Tacos por mi bebé!

"Yes!," Kevin grinned as he gave a small fist pump to himself, swooped his cousin up, and slid into the kitchen to pull out what his mother would need for dinner.

* * *

"Odio esto, Kev," Marisol sighed and Kevin hoisted Rosie on one hip as he surveyed the open checkout lanes at Peach Creek's Save A Lot.

"C'mere," he said quietly as he eased the full cart into Edd's line and waited.

"Hey, _you!,"_ he said cheerfully as the older man in front of them pushed his cart away and Edd looked at him in shock and some anger before slapping his _customer service_ smile on his face.

"Hello, Kevin. How can I help you this evening?" he asked politely as Marisol started to unload the cart's basket.

"Not _me,_ silly," Kevin grinned before cocking his head at Marisol. "My _cousin."_

The initial anger in Edd's eyes quickly evaporated and was replaced by confusion as Marisol pulled a large pink coupon book and her EBT card out of the diaper bag he had seen Kevin carry into his house earlier that day and handed them to Kevin.

"She's got food stamps and WIC and –"

"And TANF," Marisol said softly as she pulled a box of diapers and wipes from under the cart and placed them behind a box that held what Edd knew to be the amount of formula most moms in the state got on their WIC vouchers every month.

"And I was hoping…" Kevin said as he trailed off and gave Edd a shrug.

"Ok, first things first," Edd said as he turned to Marisol, "put your _food_ up front and we'll get that done first because it's the fastest thing to deal with. Then we'll do each voucher one at a time and then the cash stuff. You know it all rings up separately on its own, right?"

"Y-Yeah," Marisol nodded as she stepped away to organize her things.

"And what's this little one's name?," he asked as he turned back to Kevin and Rosie hid her face in Kevin's shoulder.

And that's when Edd noticed that the child in Kevin's arms, his cousin, and the redhead himself all shared the same shy grin.

The slight tan that Kevin always carried with him, which grew even darker in the spring, summer, and early fall months was only about two shades lighter than the natural skin tone of the young woman standing next to him.

And the hazel in their eyes could only come from one place.

 _Genetics._

Edd was way too relived for his own damn good to tell his mother that Kevin hadn't had a baby that he was hiding away from everyone.

He was only helping out his family.

Edd knew that his mother was from Puerto Rico from their very brief, passing introduction at Kevin's birthday part, but he didn't know how close the rest of the family was, til just now.

"This is Rosie," Kevin chuckled as the little girl squealed her protests at Kevin trying to pull her back up to greet the smart Ed.

"¡No!"

"Sé amable y mira tus modales, Rosanna," Marisol said firmly and Rosie sat up and pouted.

"Hi," she huffed as she looked down at her hands.

"Hola," Edd grinned and Kevin's breath hitched a bit.

The little girl looked at Edd curiously before grinning and saying, "¡Hola!," back as she waved her pudgy hand at him.

"¿Cómo estás?"

"Meh," she said, her tone and shrug mimicking the one of the tall boy holding her close.

"I get it," he grinned and Marisol heaved a huge sigh.

"I _think_ I'm ready."

"Bags?," he asked as he rang up a can of green beans.

"Gimme!"

He shot a shaken look at the loud child and her mother just handed over the canvas bags to her as if this were their norm so she could hand them to Edd.

"Ayudé," she grinned to Kevin who only chuckled again as he walked to the end of the checkout stand, pulling the grocery cart behind him as he did so.

Once he placed Rosie back in the front seat of the cart, he gave Edd a quick whistle.

Without even taking his eyes off the work in front of him, he tossed the bags to Kevin, who bagged up the groceries as Edd and Marisol worked together to get everything scanned up properly.

But Marisol was getting jittery as a young man wearing a Peach Creek High letterman jacket and holding a carton of eggs sighed loudly behind her.

Edd ignored him, but made sure to take a quick glance at him to see what he was working with.

He was Marc James and the school's top point guard who had a tendency to like to repeat his history and geography courses.

And he was one of the thorns in the student resource center's tutoring side as he hardly ever made any of his tutoring sessions unless the whole team went or the coach sat in on his individual sessions.

Considering that he was talking to the young woman in front of him and she would respond back in a very thick Central American accent, he knew Marc was good for some stupid quip about immigrants and he hoped he was prepared to teach him a lesson on the subject and geography.

When she swiped her EBT card after her WIC vouchers were rung in, he scoffed as he said, "Another illegal immigrant taking all of our benefits, huh?"

Edd shot him a hard glare as Kevin turned from where he was playing _¡Ojitos!_ with Rosie and the hazel in his green eyes went _orange_ with rage.

"Kinda hard to be an immigrant when you're a citizen, eh muchacho?," Marisol quipped as she threw him a side glance that Edd had seen many times growing up on _Kevin's_ face.

She knew her thick accent gave her away, but Puerto Rico is an American territory, making her just as much a citizen as anyone else in the store that night, but she also knew that most didn't care. They just saw brown skin and heard an accent not like their own and thought it was all _wrong_.

"Where _you_ from?," the young man snipped as he damn near slammed the eggs on the convory belt.

"Cherry Hill. Where _you_ from?"

The cold look she gave him damn near made Edd's skin crawl as the young black man in front of her could only trace his roots to one continent, but he knew her implication all the same.

 _"Here_ and ain't nobody from America talk like you," he snipped.

"You need to get out more, Marc," Edd sighed as he handed Marisol her receipt . "And probably pay attention in geography class."

Kevin's loud laugh echoed around the front of the store as he and Marisol made their way out and Rosie waved and said _adios_ to everyone she could see.

Edd didn't even look at the EBT card the young man swiped after Kevin left, but as he handed Marc his receipt, he said, "I expect to see you at my next study session for the basketball team later this week."

"Whatever," Marc scoffed again as he stormed out of the store.

* * *

 _"Hey."_

"Hey," Edd sighed into the phone before faceplanting into his bed.

 _"I need a favor. And I wanted to ask you earlier but I had to run Mari and Rosie back home."_

"¿Qué pàsa?," Edd said as he rolled over to his back and stared at the planetary mobile Kevin gave him for his birthday.

 _"Heh,"_ Kevin chuckled and Edd's ears burned. _"Um, you got the study guide for Washington's class, yet?"_

"Yeah, why?," Edd said curiously.

He knew Kevin wasn't one to sneak notes of their shared classes as they figured out over the years that teachers wouldn't teach the class the exact same way each time, so any notes Edd would take would be damn near useless for Kevin's own class and they took notes so differently that it was hard to figure out what each was trying to keep in mind for tests and what he would toss away, only to pull out of his ass years later as some sort of random trivia point. And Kevin's class was known to be rowdy, thus making the teacher scramble to figure out ways to keep his rambunctious students on task.

 _"Can I get a copy of it?"_

"Why?," Edd asked worriedly. "Aren't you gonna be here for class Thursday?"

 _"No,"_ Kevin sighed. _"Gotta go to court for a family thing."_

"Well," Edd said as he sat up and went to dig his AP History folder out of his messenger bag. "I'm gonna have to black out my notes, but I can scan it in an email for you."

 _"Of course you took notes on it already,"_ Kevin scoffed and Edd laughed.

"The test is next week, Kevin."

 _"Meh."_

"So _you_ taught her that?"

 _"Of course I did!,"_ Kevin snickered. _"I'm all she's got so I get to teach her things!"_

"What about her _parents?!,"_ Edd protested as he pulled the study guide out and a handful of index cards to cover his notes so Kevin could take his own.

 _"Mari? Eh, she's alright,"_ Kevin said teasingly before his voice grew dark. _"But we don't talk about her shit bag dad."_

Edd had heard that dark tone in many instances over the years, and lately it had grown on him, but he knew when to soothe it and when to let it go by now.

This time he let it _vamos_ itself into the ether.

"So noted."

 _"Ya got my notes, though?,"_ Kevin asked, the apprehension in his voice making Edd a pout a bit as he hurried to cover his notes and get the study guide to the jock across the street.

"Check your email in five."

 _"Thanks, Babe."_

"No problemo, mi corazon."

 _"Oh, my god,"_ Kevin snickered. _"You're such a dork."_

"Annnnd?"

His answer was soft, barely a whisper.

"But you're _my dork_ and I love you."

 _"That's what I thought,"_ Edd thought to himself with a sly grin, but he only said, "I love you, too. Breakfast?"

 _"Ma masion,"_ Kevin yawned but the slight Spanish lilt in his voice made Edd giggle and he felt the redhead's eye roll through the phone.

"Entonces te veré en tu casa mañana."

 _"Kay,"_ Kevin said softly. _"Love you."_

"Love you, too."

 _"Night."_

"Goodnight, Baby."


	2. A Lil Get Together Amongst Friends

"YO!"

Ed and Double Dee looked up from the buffet they were standing over to see a smiling Kevin walking towards them, but then his face fell a bit. When they both stiffened out of a very old habit that was slowly, but truly dying away, his face fell even more.

"Where's Eddy?"

"Work," Ed huffed and when Kevin caught the pouting look in Edd's eyes, an old urge to _pound_ the shrimpy Ed whipped up in his belly, but he quelled it because he knew it wouldn't do them any good anymore.

"But he did send a gift," Edd said as he pointed to the table in the corner that was topped with gifts for the newly minted 17 year old.

"Man, this is like the sixth party he's missed, though," Kevin said in some disbelief as all Eddy had wanted to do growing up was party with _everyone._

"Don't remind me," Edd snipped as he walked away.

"What's up?"

Ed caught the hard look in his eyes and shook his head.

"He's missed every movie and game night since _before_ spring break," he sighed as he loaded his plate with chips and salsa.

"But he _has_ been making it to y'all's study thing, right?," Kevin asked as he hadn't heard Edd complain about Eddy missing it after school started back up after Christmas break.

"Yeah, but only because Dee's been having it during study hall. Otherwise…"

"Yeah, yeah," Kevin sighed as he watched Edd talk with Nazz and her boyfriend, but the usual happy glint in his eyes was dull. "How'd y'all get to come, though?"

"Took the morning shift," Ed grinned as he shoved a salsa laden chip in his mouth and Kevin nodded.

Kevin asked for the day off a month ago, and even then he had to hold his breath as Saturday's were the bike shop's busiest day, but Justin let him go for the day after he made up the schedule two weeks ago because Max told him that Kevin wasn't one to ask off unless it was for school or family. Plus, _it was his damn birthday_ and he should go have fun. Justin told him to stay out of trouble and that he still had to work on Sunday after Mass.

He knew his friends wouldn't be able to get the same kind of leeway as it wasn't their birthday, but not too many employers are going to turn down anyone wanting to come in early.

Especially _teenagers._

Taking the morning shift all but guaranteed that they would work their full shift for the day and still have the rest of the day to do as they pleased.

And the Eds wanted to party.

Kevin was happy to oblige them, but it seemed like their third cord strand was getting frayed and he would not have that.

At. All.

* * *

"Hey!," Eddy called out cheerfully when Kevin strode into the store, Rosie toddling with him, her hand wrapped around his pinky.

"Sup, man," Kevin smirked as he picked his cousin up and put her on his hip. "You want nuggets, Rosie?"

"¡Si!"

"Kids meal?," Marie asked and he nodded.

"And the double bacon cheeseburger for me with the salad."

He gave her a hard stare as she giggled but she typed the order in anyways.

"Did your mom manage to get the punch out of the carpet?," she asked with a sly grin and Kevin rolled his eyes as Eddy quirked a brow.

"Yeah, Edd made up some cleaning stuff for her and got it right out," he snorted. "I swear if my dad wasn't there, she'd kissed him."

Marie outright laughed at the idea of Edd being flustered over Kevin's _mom_ kissing him as being in the company of most girls fawning over him made him blush and become _painfully shy_.

"Bet he was a blushing fool anyways," she giggled.

"Red as a damn tomato!"

"¡No!"

"Sorry, Rosie," Kevin told the girl on his hip as he kissed her cheek and she shoved him away in a huff before grabbing his ear and pulling him in for a kiss of her own.

"Who's this, though?," Marie asked as she grinned at the girl after she handed Kevin a large cup and a juice box for Rosie's kid's meal.

"My cousin," he grinned. "Say hi to Marie, Rosie."

"Hi!," she waved shyly before ducking her face away into Kevin's shoulder.

"Dude," Marie snickered and he rolled his eyes. "You know it's, true," she grinned as she handed him his receipt. "You're number 103. Give us about two minutes."

He nodded as he walked away to grab a drink for himself and get Rosie settled into a high chair.

By the time he was ready to see if their meal was ready, Eddy brought it to him.

"What happened at the party, man?"

Kevin caught the pout in his tone, so he simmered his flames at Eddy missing it and Edd being upset about it a bit.

But just a _bit._

"Your best friend saved my mom's Prussian rug. But you missed Ed knocking the piñata on the roof."

"Gaaaaah," Eddy sighed before plopping himself in the seat next to the redhead. "I couldn't get out of it, man."

"I get that," Kevin nodded as he dug Rosie's nuggets out and the girl made the sign of the cross across her head and chest before saying a quick _gracias, amen_ and chowing down on her fries. "But Edd was pouty nearly the whole damn time. _At my birthday party."_

Eddy shuddered under the redhead's gaze but he knew he was in trouble and deserved the consequences, however damned they maybe.

"I know," Eddy groaned as he ran his hand through his hair. "He hasn't said anything to me since then really, either. I get that he's mad, but I gotta work!"

Kevin quirked a brow because it had been nearly a week since his birthday party and for the Eds to not talk was just _mind boggling_ and he had to fix it.

"But you're still a minor, dude. You can't work _all the time_ ," Kevin said and he inwardly cringed because _Lort_ did he sound _just like Edd_.

"Dude, you sound like Dee," Eddy snorted and Kevin rolled his eyes. "They're trying to figure things out," he sighed as he leaned back and looked at the clock on the wall behind the counter and then the door. "I'm off in like 20, but if Ang isn't here by then, I'm stuck because I'm the only manager on duty right now."

Kevin made a face and pulled out his phone. He checked his Facebook feed and saw that the other assistant manager in question did indeed have a dance competition that day, but because the high school teams went first, she should have been done before noon.

It was now just after four.

But between the two hour trip back from Charleston and getting home and changed, she would probably be pushing it to get to work on time, but he figured she could make it.

And like the overly dramatic person she was, she not only made it, she made a damn entrance.

* * *

Her Beetle _screeched_ into the near empty parking lot, slide into the space behind Eddy's car, and a gaggle of girls fell out of it as she shut the vehicle off and stepped out herself.

"Praise the Lord," Eddy sighed as he saw her and the co-captains of the JV and varsity dance teams glide into the store. "Marie! People!," he called to the counter and Marie hurried back to the front with a box of ketchup packets on her hip.

Kevin checked the time on his phone and considering that Eddy wasn't going to get off for another fifteen minutes, he knew he had a minute to talk to Ang.

"Yo! Angie!," he called out to her and when she and her group of friends turned towards his voice he gave her a look as the other girls grinned at him and Rosie and she nodded.

She whispered a few words to her friends and they begrudgingly stayed put as she walked over to where he and Rosie were sitting.

"Sup, Kev," she grinned. "Isn't this David's little girl?"

His eyes grew cold at the mention of the girl's dad, but then he saw the look in Angela's eyes.

 _Anger._

 _Sheer, unadulterated anger._

"Y-Yeah," he stuttered as Rosie handed her a French fry that she gleefully took before flipping her pig tails a bit.

"Good to see her smiling again," she grinned before she looked at him curiously. "How do you know her?"

"She's my cousin," Kevin said carefully.

"You're related to _David Oliver?"_

"No, _her mom's_ my cousin," Kevin said quickly and Ang breathed a sigh of relief.

"How's Mari doing?," she asked as she sat down across from him.

"Better for sure," Kevin smiled and she smiled back, her gapped tooth grin reminding her of one he loved so much.

And had to make bright again.

"Listen," he said. "You know Edd's not speaking to Eddy, right?"

"Yeah," she groaned as she put her head in both hands.

Being a tutor like Edd, she was just as privy to _Ed gossip_ as the cul-de-sac was, but because she worked with Eddy, she got another side of things that Kevin knew he couldn't see.

"So?"

"So, Eddy's one of the best assistant managers we've got, and they ain't trying to lose that. And since wrestling is only in the fall, he's stuck working all spring until they can hire someone who will come on and _stay on."_

Kevin groaned as he knew that while the crew that worked at the store was a rough around the edges bunch, once you got to know them and figured out how they worked, things went well. But after a couple of assistant managers graduated from the high shcool and left Peach Creek, it had been hard to hold onto anyone.

"Kevie!"

When Ang and Kevin looked at their smol interloper, she was reaching for his salad and he gave her a cucumber that she happily munched on while an idea popped in his head.

"I may know someone, but it's gonna be a bit before they can come in," he said carefully and Ang made a face at him. "In the meantime, think you can get the shortstack a day off?"

"I can try," Ang said just as carefully as Kevin had and he nodded in understanding. "Who'd thought _Kevin_ would try to help out _Eddy,_ though," she grinned and he wadded up a napkin and threw it at her giggling head.

* * *

Kevin paced in front of the courtroom door, a very fussy Rosie on his hip.

He didn't know if he should be mad at her father or the court system for interrupting the girl's nap, but he did know that he couldn't wait for this whole thing to be _over._

 _*buzz buzz*_

Rosie pulled away from his shoulder and looked around for his phone as he dug it out of his pocket.

Babe: I got the study notes for Ryerson's class today if you need them.

Kevin breathed out a sigh of relief as he sent a text of thanks back, even more thankful that Edd was being understanding about his absences, lack of communication, Rosie's near constant presence in his life, and the fact that he hadn't gotten to touch him in _weeks_.

When he looked up from his phone, he saw the social worker on Rosie's case step out of the courtroom and give him a knowing look as she reached for the toddler in his arms.

"They just got done questioning Angela, so you should be up next, ok?"

Kevin nodded and took a deep breath before the bailiff called him inside to testify against the charming young man who nearly caused him to catch a murder case and cancel date night with a boy he had just fallen in love with.

* * *

It was just after 6AM on a bright June Tuesday when Edd was rustled out of his sleep by his doorbell ringing and some soft knocking accompanying it. He walked wearily to the door and stared up at Kevin in surprise when he opened it.

"Wha…Kevin, why are you here? Is everything ok?," he asked as it was odd to see Kevin this early in the day since they didn't have school anymore.

Kevin quickly ushered him back into the house and shut the door before pulling him into his arms and the ravenette outright moaned into a hug he had started to forget about missing.

"So you free this weekend?," Kevin asked as he reluctantly pulled away.

"Only Friday afternoon," Edd pouted as the realization that with summer in near full swing, _maybe_ they could actually start to hang out like they used to again. "My father is coming back home Friday night and I've got orders that there _will_ _be_ _family time_. And I have to work all day Saturday and we're doing Father's Day Saturday night because he's leaving Sunday morning."

When Kevin started to look like he did when he had forgotten their sixth month anniversary back in February, Edd sighed.

"You forgot this weekend was Father's Day, didn't you?"

"Nuuuuu," Kevin giggled nervously as he pulled out his phone and brought up his email. "Oh, thank God," he sighed as he tapped away at the screen for a few seconds and then locked the phone and put it back in his pocket.

When Edd cocked a brow at him and refused to be moved from the spot he was standing in as Kevin started pushing him towards the stairs, Kevin acquiesced.

"I didn't really _forget._ I was just trying to figure out why Amazon was sending me a fisherman's kit that I had I ordered, but they were late getting to me because I ordered it a month ago."

 _"Mother's Day_ was a month ago."

"And I ordered that gift at Easter so you can't say I forgot!," Kevin said teasingly as he booped his nose and Edd rolled his eyes.

"I guess," he sputtered as he batted Kevin's hands away.

And then Kevin's lips were against his own.

Edd was startled and even froze up for about half a second before Kevin whimpered as his tongue swiped against Edd's closed lips and the genius all but fell apart at the sound and the needy gesture.

He sucked Kevin's tongue in his mouth as he started to pull the eager jock to his bedroom.


	3. Back To Good

The first time Kevin held him _like this_ , he had just told him he loved him.

The orgasm that followed shook them both and Kevin didn't let him go for the rest of the afternoon. If it wasn't for Edd's father coming home from another business trip, he'd stayed put for forever as far as he was concerned.

That was damn near two months ago and he hasn't had a moment alone with him since.

He was sure he'd never let him go again.

* * *

"Kevin, you're pulling my hair," Edd rasped in his ear and he pulled back apologetically.

"Sorry," Kevin muttered, but with his hair free from Kevin's strong forearm, he could lean up to kiss him.

 _"Move."_

Kevin buried his face in the crook of his neck and did his best to move as slowly as possible. He knew that if he could just hit _that spot_ that turned Edd from shaking and _in pain_ to shaking and _moaning,_ they'd be fine.

Edd shifted his own hips on the third hip roll and when Kevin thrust back inside the moan that left him had _Kevin_ shaking.

 _"Again,"_ the ravenette ordered as he wrapped himself tighter around him and Kevin quickly complied.

Edd's hands flew into his hair as he brought him in for a feverish kiss and then rolled them over.

With Edd on top, he was in total control.

And the needy look in his eyes let Kevin know that his boyfriend _needed this_.

* * *

As they grew up and matured, they developed their own friendship that was unlike the rest they developed with the rest of their neighbors.

Kevin's snark was only matched by Edd's sass.

Edd would never have Kevin's brute strength but Kevin didn't mind helping him hone his workouts with the swim team.

Kevin's book smarts were highly above average, but sometimes his pride would get in the way of asking for help, so Edd figured out how to offer without bruising his ego.

Edd's love of nature helped them both when Kevin wanted to get out and play in it and wanted Edd to tag along.

Edd's own hobbies and interests weren't as boring as Kevin thought, and Kevin wasn't just another jockhead hooked on pop culture and ESPN.

On the surface they were opposites, but when one peeled their layers back, they had way more in common than anyone would ever truly know.

 _Even themselves._

* * *

A chance meeting in the library freshman year had led to the exchange of a borrowed book needed for a shared class and from there, either by choice or chance, whenever they shared a space, they would always leave the other with something to remember him by and slowly, but surely, they started to bond.

A happy hug over a won homecoming game won Edd a blush that year.

A motorcycle ride home after Edd forgot to let anyone know he was studying all afternoon for fall midterms sophomore year at Peach Creek's downtown library got him the most exhilarating ride home he had ever had the chance to take.

And Kevin got his number.

A joint study session during last spring's finals led to lunch, then a movie, then dinner, and the first of many kisses goodbye at front doors.

By Edd's birthday last October, they realized they had fallen into something as they fell into Edd's bed and his new planetary mobile spun overhead.

At spring break, Kevin put feelings into words that Edd had been feeling since _Christmas_ but was too scared to vocalize.

They had been saying it ever since, but hadn't had the chance to show it because Kevin's family needed him.

And it made Edd fall in love with him all the more.

With every move of his hips he showed him and with nearly every breath he told him.

Kevin matched his movements and his words til they could say and move no more.

* * *

In the dizzying afterglow, they heard a car door slam and then Rosie squawking loudly about something.

"Do you have to go?"

Kevin looked down into pensive blue eyes and shook his head.

"Not unless they call me," he half shrugged as he pulled Edd closer.

Edd's sigh could only be described as one of relief and Kevin giggled.

"Don't laugh at me," Edd pouted and Kevin kissed apologies to his curly head.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I did miss you, though."

"I can tell," Edd smirked as he rubbed the bite mark on his neck.

Kevin sucked in a breath as he looked at the blossoming purple mark and then gave Edd his best puppy dog pout.

"Please, Sir," Edd cooed at him as he drew him in for a kiss, "can I have another?"

Edd got his kiss and his neck got a nibble before they settled down for a nap.

* * *

When Edd woke up, his head was still on Kevin's chest, along with a puddle of drool that Kevin was ignoring as he tapped away at his phone's screen.

He pulled away, fully embarrassed and expecting Kevin to be grossed out, but the redhead just pulled him back in for a wet smooch as he said, "I know I'm hot, Babe, but daaaaaamn."

Edd pouted into his pillow as Kevin laughed and wiped his chest off with a tissue from the nightstand.

"C'mon, Edd," he said gently as he rubbed Edd's back.

A muffled, _"No,"_ was all Kevin heard as Edd's face was still hidden in his pillow.

"Please?"

Edd whined as Kevin pleaded with him to come out of his hiding place and he came out to see Kevin's forward facing camera opened up on his phone.

"Take a selfie with me?"

Edd used to be horrified by Kevin's request because he was always afraid that somehow someone would find the phone and out them and he couldn't imagine dealing with the fallout. But nothing had happened in the near nine months they had been quietly dating, so now he was game for silly faces with silly filters, especially since it made Kevin so happy.

But then Kevin's phone rang with a call from his mother that Edd only understood about half of because it was in Spanish and Kevin was speaking at such an extraordinary clip that it was hard to keep up.

He figured that someone named David wouldn't be a problem anymore and Edd thought that the look of relief on his face was as close to the look only Edd himself got behind closed doors.

When Kevin got quiet and thoughtful he had thought the phone call was over, but the redhead didn't move the phone from his ear and when he spoke again, it was in English.

"Yeah, Mari, it's me…I know you're not gonna like this idea, but you need to give it a shot…Go up to the Wendy's on Broadway and 21st and ask for Eddy or Angela Jackson. Tell them you're _my cousin_ and you need a job… _Trust me, Marisol._ You can do this and y'all need this…I mean you can _try_ , but Dee's only a cashier up there. Eddy and Ang are _managers_ and they need more… _Yep!_...Ok, ok….Mari….Mari… _Mari, I'm getting off the phone now_ …Love you, bye!"

He hung up the phone on a snicker and then leaned over to give Edd another kiss.

It was softer than his earlier kisses, and Edd could feel some sense of relief in it but kissed him back just as eagerly.

"Everything ok?," he asked as Kevin leaned back into the headboard and his shoulders looked more relaxed then Edd had seen them in _months._

"Yeah, _now,"_ Kevin snorted. "They finally put Mari's ex in jail and got her and Rosie a restraining order that goes into effect as soon as he gets out."

"But she needs a job?"

"Yeah, she's got her GED and her associate's degree in business," Kevin said as he brought up some pictures of the young woman Edd had met a couple of months ago. "She was working as an assistant manager at the Sonic in Lemon Brook until he knocked her up and made her quit."

"And now she has to go back to work since he obviously can't," Edd said as he took the phone from him and scrolled through the pictures that looked to be a graduation party.

"Jackass better be glad he's still alive," Kevin sneered as he peered at the pictures over Edd's shoulder.

"What happened?!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, he wanted to take them back because the look in Kevin's eyes _hurt_ and he had promised himself that he wouldn't hurt him.

 _Ever._

"Got mad when she picked him up late from work one day because Rosie's doctor's appointment ran late. Beat the stones out of her in the car in front of God and everybody," Kevin said as he clinched and unclenched his fists and Edd shuddered. "Ang called the cops and pulled him off of her and beat his ass til they got there."

"What?! When did that happen!?"

"About three months ago?," Kevin mused.

"So that's why Ang's hand was broken after spring break!"

"Yep," Kevin sighed. "She gave him a concussion, though. If she hadn't gotten him into the hospital…"

Edd handed him his phone back and snuggled close.

"I'll start saving for your bail money now, then," he said as he gave him a soft smile and Kevin blushed.

"She's my _cousin_ , Dee. I gotta –"

"I know," Edd said as he took his hand into his own. "Taking care of family is important."

"Thanks for that," Kevin said as he gave his hand a squeeze, his cheeks still a dusty pink.

"You're welcome," Edd whispered as he gave the corner of his mouth a quick kiss and slowly started to push him out of the bed.

"I take it you need a shower," Kevin grinned as he stood up from the floor Edd forced him on and Edd held out his hands.

"You know me so well," he giggled and Kevin rolled his eyes, but lifted him up bridal style and carried him to a much awaited shower.


	4. Father Knows Best

"So?"

"So?"

Father looked at son and each gave a hearty laugh.

"Toss me a beer, boy!," Sean said as he kicked his cowboy boots off and wiggled his toes.

Kevin dug into the cooler filled with Miller Lite and Mexican Fanta and pulled out a beer for his father and a strawberry Fanta for himself.

They took quiet sips, had large burps, bigger laughs, and then settled back into the lawn chairs they brought with them from home.

Their fishing lines bobbed as flies settled on their rods and curious, but apparently very smart fish nibbled at the bait on the hooks.

It was quiet, peaceful.

The _perfect_ Father's Day as far as Sean was concerned.

For the most part anyways.

The tall redhead next to him was every bit his clone in every way.

Strong sense of self, determined, very self-sufficient.

He stepped up without any hesitation when his Aunt Valeria called from the hospital in tears over Marisol.

He had plenty of friends, but _something_ seemed to be missing in Kevin's life and like the good dad he was, he was going to help him get it if he could.

"So what have you been up to lately?," he asked as a few mosquitoes hovered overhead.

"Not a lot," Kevin sighed as he realized that his life had been nothing but helping his cousin, work, and school right up to Tuesday when he saw Edd _alone_ for the first time in _weeks._

"Well, it's summer and that means you're gonna get a new curfew," Sean said as he took a quick swig of his beer.

"What?! Really?!"

The only curfew Kevin had known to this point in his life was 10 on weekdays and 11 on the weekends. Considering that he hadn't caused them any problems his entire high school career, Sean thought it was a good idea to give the redhead a bit more responsibility and some room to grow.

"Yep," his father nodded. "Midnight during the week and 2 on the weekends." When Kevin sputtered in shock, he put the lid on his flames a bit. "But you still gotta call if you're stuck or something. Got it?"

Kevin eagerly nodded and then his fishing rod was pulled into the lake.

"Did ya bring your trunks?," Sean laughed.

Kevin gave him a hard stare that he learned from his mother, stripped to his trunks, and jumped in the lake after his rod and the large-mouth bass that tried to get away.

* * *

"You kids doing any more parties?," Sean asked as the sun started to dip down and the late afternoon heat spiked a bit over the lake making the fish sink lower and out of the way.

"Maybe," Kevin shrugged. "Everybody's working all the time now, so who knows really?"

"'If you build it, they will come,'" Sean quoted as he reeled in another minnow that he just tossed back.

"If we get time off, we will," Kevin snorted.

"Ya did before!"

"That was because it was my birthday or we were in court, though, Dad," Kevin sighed.

"Well, you better be looking at getting The Fourth off then because your mom wants to do a thing," he said as he opened another beer. "And be sure to let Edd know that she wants the heads up on sales and shit."

When Kevin pulled out his phone to text him his mom's request, Sean laughed til he saw the surprised look on Kevin's face.

"What's up?"

 _"Eddy's at Edd's."_

Sean shot him a quizzical look and Kevin quickly texted him his usual "Y'all some dorks," in response to the selfie of all three Eds having pizza at Double Dee's, before letting him know about what his mom wanted and sending him a quick selfie with his father.

"He looks happy."

"Huh?," Kevin said as he put his phone in the fishing kit he got his dad for the holiday.

"I said, ' _He looks happy.'"_

"Yeah," Kevin huffed in relief. "Eddy's been working like hell and hasn't been around so I guess he got the day off or something and could hang."

"He only smiles like that when he's with you, ya know?"

Even though the temperature outside was 92 degrees, Kevin felt _cold_ as he turned his _deer in the headlights_ stare on his father.

"Haven't seen him look that happy since around Valentine's Day actually," Sean mused as he stood to cast his line further out from where they had been fishing in.

"Oh, God," Kevin muttered as his stomach seemed intent on expelling everything he had ever eaten in his life.

"What did you get him?"

"A…um, a new set of slides for his microscope and an app for his phone so he can look at the stars no matter where he is. Why am I telling you this?!," he cried as his dad chuckled.

"What did he get you?"

"The Batman Lego Movie and the case on my phone," Kevin muttered into his palms.

The phone case in question was a picture of his Harley printed on well-made plastic that protected his phone from his oddly klutzy hands when it came to _anything_ not a ball, Rosie, or Edd himself.

"Nice," the elder Barr grinned as he chugged a bit of his beer.

Kevin stared at him in confusion because he seemed to be taking this news _way too well._

"How drunk are you?!"

"I am still _sober_ enough to know that you like the boy across street enough to not call him a _dork_ and be mean about it like you used to. And I'm perfectly okay with it."

"Because you're _drunk."_

"No," Sean sighed as he turned to look at his scared boy. "Because I _am_ okay with it. If you like the boy and he likes you, then it's all good to me."

"So if I said I was gay…"

"Then I would say that you need to make sure that you get tested and to just be careful," Sean shrugged. "This world is a crazy place, but the good Lord hasn't flung this old rock into the sun because people are coming out of the closet and living their lives. I just want you to be safe about it."

"Dad, I'm gay."

"Hi, Gay. I'm Dad."

An indignant sound of frustration left Kevin's throat as he threw a bottle cap at his father who fell out of his chair and then into the lake as he laughed.

"Toss me another!," he hollered as he pulled himself out of the drink, wet hair, shirt, jeans, soaked socks and all.

* * *

Edd barely registered the ringing of the doorbell over the explosions from the video game being played in his living room.

Kevin's voice _screaming_ at his father brought him back to reality and he paused the game before answering the door, his friends following after him as they were too curious about what was going on outside themselves to care that they weren't playing anymore.

"Mr Barr!," he exclaimed as he opened the door and his heart sank when he caught the scared look on Kevin's face as he pleaded with his father not _do anything._

 _"You said you were okay with it! With us!,"_ the redhead screamed as the elder Barr glowered himself over Edd.

He held up a finger to silence his son and Kevin actually sniffled as he did so.

"Eddward, right?"

Edd, who was suddenly sweating in fear as the tall, solemn, scary looking Irish man stood over him, just nodded.

"You like my boy?"

"Y-Yes, Sir," he said quietly before drawing some sense of strength from somewhere deep in his soul, which made him stand up straighter as he said, "I love him."

Kevin _reeled_ as his father grinned.

"Good to hear. But if you so much as hurt a hair on his head, I've got a shovel and plenty of alibis, you hear me, son?"

"I would _never!,"_ Edd protested and Kevin just sat down on the lawn and put his head between his knees.

"See that you _don't,"_ Sean said seriously and Edd nodded again, words lost to him as the man in front of him rendered him speechless in a way that his son _used to._ "Also, his curfew for the summer is midnight during the week and 2 on the weekends. Break that and I break you. We clear?"

"Y-Yes, Sir," Edd nodded quickly, still a bit scared out of his mind, but glad he was still _alive_ and conscious.

"And we need to have dinner with your parents."

"WHAT?!," Kevin screamed again and his father shot him another silencing look over his shoulder as he said, "We meet the parents, Kevin. _You know that."_

"Yes, Sir," the redhead muttered before putting his head between his knees again.

"Well, umm…my parents are kinda busy," Edd said quietly and Sean shrugged.

"Figure it out," he said as he patted his shoulder before he turned and walked away. "Kevin, get up! These fish ain't gonna clean themselves."

Kevin slowly stood up and looked at Edd who gave him a wide eyed confused stare. He could only shrug in return.

"Kevin!"

A loud, but smol voice echoed across the cul-de-sac from Kevin's front door and he gave Edd an apologetic glance.

"Go," the ravenette told him before he waved at Rosie, who waved back.

"¡Hola, Doble Dee!," she squealed and Edd's heart hadn't melted that fast since he and Kevin's first kiss.

"¡Hola, Rosie!," he called back before Kevin and his father disappeared into the house.

He closed his door and slid onto the floor, the whole event having shaken him a bit.

But his heart for his lover _stirred._

"Ahem."

Pulled from his loving thoughts, he looked up to a confused Ed and Eddy.

"Dios mio," he sighed as he pulled himself up off the floor and officially came out to his friends.


	5. Universally Speaking

"So he just hopped out of the truck and walked over because he wanted to have _a word_ with me?!," Edd squeaked and Kevin sighed.

 _"Yeah, I'm sorry, Baby. But if it makes you feel better, he scared the shit out of me with that, too."_

"I could tell," Edd said softly as the image of his tall, brawny boyfriend sitting with his head between his legs like a scared child on his front lawn popped back into his head.

 _"But for real, he is cool with it. I mean us!,"_ Kevin said quickly and Edd gave him a light laugh.

"My parents are, too. Kinda sorta anyways."

 _"What do you mean, kinda sorta?"_

"Well," Edd said as he walked from his desk to his bed and fell on to it, the weariness from a full day at work dying away into the soft mattress. "My mother is happy for us, but my father is…less than truly forthcoming about his feelings.

Kevin caught the thoughtfulness in his tone and could see the dark look on his face through the phone.

 _"So he's not happy?"_

"I didn't say _that,"_ Edd said carefully. "I think it's because it's _you_."

 _"What did I do?!"_

"You know what you did!," Edd laughed.

Kevin huffed and Edd laughed even harder.

While the redhead's bullying ways had died down to mere teasing of damn near anyone over the years, his reputation did precede him and most parents watched him warily. Marie and her sisters were his only real besters, so Mrs Kanker didn't bat at an eye at him.

 _"I'm trying here, Babe!,"_ Kevin protested before pouting out, _"Cut me some slack will ya."_

"I know and I will," Edd said gently. "But tell your mother that we can come for dinner on Thursday."

 _"Okay, I'll let her know,"_ Kevin sighed and Edd wanted to hold his hand and tell him that everything would be okay, but knew that he couldn't because he was still at work and then would be spending the night babysitting Rosie while Marisol did the night shift at Wendy's.

"It's gonna be fine."

 _"Uh huh."_

"It's gonna be terrible and our parents will all hate each other and we'll break up by Labor Day."

 _"That's more like it!,"_ Kevin said brightly before Edd's words really sank in. _"Hey, wait a minute!"_

"Well, isn't it?!"

 _"No, no,"_ Kevin said quietly and Edd heard a door open so he knew he was headed back into work. _"It's gonna be fine."_

"That's more like it."

Kevin gave a huff and sighed and Edd knew by the way he sighed that he was starting to come around to the whole idea of their parents meeting and them surviving no matter what happened.

 _"I'll see you soon, Thursday for sure,"_ Kevin said and while Edd caught the anxiousness on the edge of his voice, he still held on to things being okay.

"Okay. I love you."

There was a beat of silence followed by the softest, _"I love you, too. Bye."_

Edd couldn't help but smile as he looked at his phone and picture of them in a hug at Nazz's First Day Of Summer party where they came out to the rest of the cul-de-sac appeared on the screen.

In that soft response was so much hope and even more love.

Just like his hugs.

* * *

"Eddward, are you ok?"

Edd looked to his mother as he rang the doorbell to Kevin's house and nodded.

He knew he was fidgeting, but he wasn't scared as much as he was excited about what could possibly happen next.

After coming out to their parents and friends thanks to Sean's watchful green eyes, the world didn't end. So what could happen next had to be good and Edd was ready for it.

"Marisol?," Marion said in some shock as Kevin's cousin answered the door.

"Hi, Dr Vincent!," the young woman said cheerfully as she adjusted her sleeping child on her shoulder. "How are you?"

"I'm doing well, thank you. How's our Rosie?" she whispered and Marisol turned her body towards her so she could see the sleeping child in question.

 _"Knocked out, thank God,"_ Marisol giggled. "I don't know what Kevin did to her today, but it worked. I'll see y'all later!"

Said redhead scampered to the door as Marisol walked out and ushered Edd and his parents inside.

* * *

Edd made quick introductions as they walked up the stairs from the small vestibule into the living room and Edd tripped up the stairs as his mother _screamed_ when she walked into the living room.

"CAMILIA?!"

"MARION?!

"Why are we yelling!?," Kevin asked as he helped Edd up the stairs.

 _"This woman,"_ Kevin's mother said as she pointed to Edd's, "just thinks she can walk into _my good Christian home_ like she owns the place! I have news for you, Marion Rockwell," she said as she turned to Marion who was rolling her eyes, "you picked a mighty fine time to show up! My baby boy has a date coming and we don't have time for your shenanigans! Also, you still owe me five dollars."

"D'Ward, _my purse,"_ Marion snarked as she held her hand out for the purse Edd's father was holding. "And what date?! I was told to be here for dinner at six!"

"Wait…," Camilia gasped as she looked to Kevin who was holding Edd's hand. "Kevin, ¿este tu novio?"

"Si, Mama," Kevin grinned as he led Edd across the room to his mother. "Edd, Ma. Ma, _this_ is Double Dee, remember."

"Oh!," she exclaimed before hugging Edd as she fussed at Kevin in Spanish.

Which was when Marion started _mocking her_ in French.

Fiery hazel met teasing blue and Camilia threw a few raspberries at her over her shoulder before storming into the kitchen, Marion on her heels, still mocking her.

"What just happened?," Edd said as he looked around in confusion.

"I don't know," Kevin muttered thoughtful.

"Ahem."

Both teens turned towards Edd's father, who had a thoughtful look on his face that Kevin had grown to love on Edd's.

"Kevin, is your mom from Puerto Rico?"

"Yes, Sir. Why?"

D'Ward tossed his head back on a quick laugh and said, "They met when Grandpa Ed was stationed there when Marion was a girl. Best of friends. They kept in touch for _years_ but then Marion's letters started to come back as undeliverable when she went off to college. My guess is that this is them just picking up from where they left off."

"How far off?," Edd asked, a bit amazed that his mother had friends he didn't know about.

"Thirty years?," the man said as he made a face and shrugged.

"WHAT?!," Kevin and Edd said.

"Why are we yelling?," Sean asked as he walked down stairs.

"Dad, Edd's mom knows Ma!"

Sean looked at Edd and then his son before peeking into the kitchen and quickly coming back out.

 _"Your mom_ is Marion Rockwell?"

"Uh huh," Edd nodded.

"I think we might want to order out then," Sean snickered as he peeked back in the kitchen to see the two women at the kitchen table, phones in their hands as they scrolled through pictures and tears in their eyes. "They've got a lot of catching up to do."

* * *

They didn't have to order out, but dinner was _late_.

The mothers apologized as they sat close, held hands, and made a thousand plans to get together.

And Edd wondered about _Fate_.

Kevin's family moved into the house across the street about twelve years ago, but Edd's parents missed it because of work.

Edd brought over a welcome gift of cookies he made himself and while he met Kevin, he didn't meet his parents until they were in middle school and even that was in passing.

The kids kept their shenanigans quiet for the most part as they didn't want to cause too much trouble amongst themselves as the consequences of their actions had been laid bare in the moment a scam went bad.

The only time they came even remotely close to suffering anything worthy of the severe punishment they deserved was when they had their throw down with Eddy's brother.

Every parent was shocked that their kids weren't with their other friends as they had thought, but outright _missing from home_ for a good twenty four hours before they all came back home to laugh and play together til dinner. The stories they heard over dinner that night put the kibosh on anymore such shenanigans and apologetic phone calls were made and messages left, never really to be returned as life called them away from phone tag.

Their parents all tried to make up for time lost by leaving their babies to themselves over the years, and while the attention was accepted in the spirit it was given, it was all but too late as the kids were all _grown up_ and well on their way out of their respective nests.

But love called two boys home.

Over a dinner of pasetelón and whiskey pie, a friendship was renewed, a new one was made over home brewed beer, and everything was _fine_.

* * *

"Told you it'd be ok," Edd whispered as their mother's traded baby stories and their fathers talked about the current baseball season.

"Meh," Kevin grinned as he squeezed the hand he was holding under the tighter.

"Sei caso dork," Edd snickered.

"Wha?"

"It's Italian," D'Ward as he sipped his homemade beer. "He gets it from me."

"You're _Italian?!"_

"Only half! And I just found out that your mother came here on a yacht because it was cheaper than flying," Edd retorted and Kevin rolled his eyes.

"And you just thought he was just another white boy," Camilia snickered.

"At least I can dance!," Edd protested and Kevin groaned.

"It is truly our family's only shame," Camilia sighed and Sean cut his eyes at her.

"Shouldn't have fell in love with the _jincho_ ," he smirked and she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Heh," Kevin snickered. "I've got a Latin lover."

"Half and _same,"_ Edd deadpanned at him and Kevin gave him a mock pout.

"And the other half of you is white as hell."

Everyone looked at Marion in amused shock and she shrugged.

"Don't look at me! I'm so European that my son is _gay!"_

"Heh," D'Ward snorted. "How's that Euro working out for you?"

"May I please be excused?," Edd said quickly as he caught the dark look in his mother's blue eyes.

"Me, too!," Kevin said, just wanting to be where Edd was.

"Yes, you may," Marion said quickly before turning on her husband, a sneer on her gapped tooth face. "It's working just fine, thank you! France is not about to just run away because things suddenly look tough."

"Says the third generation American!"

"SAME, D'WARD! SAME!"

 _"Run,"_ Edd whispered to Kevin as he piled up their plates and scampered to the kitchen.


	6. Well Rounded

The bickering of Edd's parents and the laughter of Kevin's was drowned out by the roar of Kevin's motorcycle as they shot out of the cul-de-sac for a ride around town and _maybe_ some frozen custard but definitely some kisses in the park.

Things were quiet when they made it back to the cul-de-sac, and D'Ward and Sean were in Edd's garage looking over D'Ward's Ducati as Kevin pulled in.

"You have a _Ducati,_ Mr V?," Kevin all but squealed when he shut off his own motorcycle.

"I do," the man intoned as he smirked at his blushing son.

"Dude."

"No, Kevin," Edd shuddered.

"Why not?!," Kevin pleaded.

"Because your Harley is enough!"

Kevin poked out his lip that Edd poked as he said, "Nope!"

"You're no fun."

"I'm plenty fun, good sir, and you know it!"

"But it's a _Ducati,_ Baby!"

"It's _my_ Ducati, Kevin," Marion grinned as she peeked her head in the garage and D'Ward rolled his eyes. "And you guys are back early."

"He's got curfew at midnight, Mother," Edd explained.

"Don't want him to turn into a pumpkin, huh, Sean?," she smirked at Kevin facepalmed.

"Something like that," the elder Barr man said as he shot a glance at his son who only slightly pouted.

It was only 1030, but Kevin didn't want to push his luck with his new freedom and Edd had to work in the morning.

"And I have work in the morning, so I bid you all bonne nuit and adieu," Edd yawned before he gave Kevin a quick kiss, long hug, and drug himself wearily into the house.

Kevin gave the grinning adults in front of him a quick wave before backing his Harley into his own garage and then running inside to send a few sweet goodnight texts to Edd before he fell asleep.

* * *

"So y'all for really a thing now?"

Edd looked up at his best friend from his spot on Eddy's bedroom floor as he went over the short Ed's college algebra homework.

His phone was in his hand with the messaging center open to his texts between himself and Kevin.

"We've been a thing for a year now, Eddy."

The same worried look that his father wore for the rest of the previous summer as he watched Kevin like a hawk was on Eddy's face, but there was a tad bit more jealously in Eddy's grey eyes.

A father's pride and joy getting lost in love is cause for concern because if their child's heart breaks, so does their own.

With _best friends,_ if one gets lost in love, the other tends to get left behind. If one gets _hurt_ , the other is usually willing _and_ able to do things to rectify the situation in ways a parent truly can't.

While his father's attitude had changed as Kevin gained his trust, Eddy was still a hard case as past history was too hard to forget.

"I know, but _still…"_

"Talk," Edd said as he locked his phone and faced his friend who was stretched out on his round bed and staring at the ceiling.

"Like, I guess I get why you like each other and stuff, I just didn't think y'all would last this long."

"And why not, Eddy?"

"Have you met the guy?!," Eddy scoffed on a nervous snicker as he sat up.

"Once or twice," Edd shrugged as a sly smirk crossed his face.

"Dude," Eddy dead panned as he rolled his eyes and Edd just laughed. "Seriously though, Dee. I'll kill him if he hurts you."

"You've mentioned that," Edd smiled and Eddy rolled his eyes again.

"You don't think he's acting shady?"

"My birthday is next week and so is our anniversary," Edd snickered and Eddy's eyes went wide.

Kevin's sudden cagey behavior made sense with this new information, but Edd was used to it by now. If he suddenly grew quiet in general conversation or had a ton of questions about what Edd liked to do or things he would like to add to his collection of DVDs, music, or knick knacks, Edd knew a gift was coming and Kevin was doing his best to make it a surprise.

A summer spent living out loud had grown quiet from the redhead's side of things and Eddy was the only one bold enough to vocalize his concerns, but he made sure to only do it to Double Dee.

Now he had what he needed to tell everyone that things were going to be ok.

"What's he planning?," Eddy mused and Edd shrugged.

"I only know that I have to be in my backyard at sundown next Tuesday."

"That's it?!"

"That's it," Edd said before uttering a small, "Aha!," as he found the mistake in Eddy's homework that was holding him up from completing it. "You need to be solving for _y_ not _x,"_ he said as he handed the worksheet and textbook back to Eddy and pointed out where he got lost in the alphabet soup of letters and numbers.

* * *

When Edd came home from swim practice the following Tuesday evening, the sun had only begun to set, so he knew he had time to get a quick shower in before meeting Kevin out back.

He found him sitting with his head between his knees under the oak tree, a thin envelope in his slightly trembling hands.

"Hey, you," he said quietly as he nudged Kevin's foot with his own and Kevin's head shot up in surprise.

"Oh! Uh, hey," he sighed before reaching up for Edd, who allowed himself to be pulled into Kevin's lap. "You open it," he said quietly as he shoved the envelope into Edd's hands.

Edd gingerly opened the envelope and read the letter inside as Kevin buried his face in the back of his neck.

"Says here that you got accepted into Northwestern."

Kevin pulled his face out of his neck and read the letter Edd was holding with relief.

"Whew."

"Are you stalking me?," Edd asked as he put the letter away and turned to face a red faced Kevin.

"N-No!," the redhead protested. "I'm at the main campus and you'll be in Chicago, so how am I stalking you?"

"Well, considering that it's a _Methodist_ school –"

"And I'm a good Catholic who plays better football," Kevin smirked and Edd's head fell back on a groan.

"And Signing Day is next week."

"Yeah, I just wanted to be sure I was signing with them first," Kevin sighed as he tried to get his heart rate back to normal.

Edd pulled him into a hug as he thought about the stack of offers on Kevin's kitchen table. He didn't have any interest in any of the schools that were scrambling to get his athletic man's attention, but apparently Kevin's attention in _him_ was as strong as it ever was. So strong in fact, that he was willing to give up big name sporting schools with really good business programs to follow Edd in a long journey through pre-med and beyond.

Northwestern also had a _nice_ business program, so he wasn't going _just_ for Edd, as he had to think about how his own future affected their joint one.

It was something Edd had told him since the beginning of their relationship and something Kevin learned fairly quickly and acted on ever since.

 _"Don't do it for me. Do it for you. Do it because you want to. Because no matter what you do, if it affects me, it's gonna affect you, and you had better like it as much as you say that you like me."_

He loved him enough to never let him go and himself enough to do what he could to be his best so he could be what Edd really needed.

 _His friend._

"I love you and I am so proud of you," he said as he squeezed him tight and Kevin hugged him even harder.

And from the kitchen window, two Northwestern alumni father's toasted to the future and Kevin's love of chocolate and peanut butter chip cookies.


End file.
